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Thursday

Hi everyone! It's currently the summer holidaysssss (at least for me!), and whilst that may mean you're off on various adventures, for me and lots of people I know, that means Netflix. Food. Social media. Youtube. Sleep. Repeat. Whilst it's definitely good to chill sometimes, after a while that cycle of endless nothing-ness, can make you feel bad, lazy, unfulfilled and unproductive. So I have compiled a list of tasks you can do, in between your Netflix-binging and Insta-stalking, to trick your brain into feeling like you've been productive all dayyyy (when in reality you've been productive for about 10 minutes).

Do a cheeky little workout

Just go on to Youtube and find a simple 10 minute workout for beginners. There are so many good ones, and that will just help you feel a little more refreshed! Alternatively, just go outside and dance around to your favourite songs for 10 minutes or so. You'll definitely deserve a Netflix break after that!

Do some art!

Art has been proven to be very theruptic, but is also fun and productive. You don't have to be great at art for this to be effective, I'm certainly NOT! Try and steer away from digital art, as it's important to turn off your screens sometimes. Bonus points if you get out of the house to do this, go for a walk somewhere or even just go outside to your garden; fresh. air. is. so. important.

Buy new stationary

I’m not really sure why this one works, but it does! Whenever you buy new stationary, for most people, it makes you feel really motivated and organised. You can buy really cheap stationary from most supermarkets, but if you’re looking to splurge that bit more, there are some really gorgeous brands with great products. My personal fave is Kikki K, a pricey but stunning brand; I actually got a Goals Journal from there a couple days ago (blog post coming soon on reaching your goals - watch out!) and I definitely felt more pumped and productive.

Whether you do this with family, friends or even by yourself - clear your mind by having a mini picnic somewhere beautiful near your house, whether that's an open field, lake or your local park. Pack lots of your favourite healthier foods (when you eat healthier, you'll definitely feel more fulfilled), like avocados, smoothies and strawberries. Make sure you do leave room for some sweet treats too though!

Sell some old clothes/tech/anything else on eBay, Depop etc

This one is a double-whammie!! Not only does it clear out things that you don't use anymore, making your life less cluttered, you also get money for it; win-win situation!

Deep clean!

Yes. I know. Tidying your room may not be the way you want to spend your weekend or summer holiday, but it’s productive, worth-while and ends in you having a lovely tidy living space. If you don’t really feel like tidying your room, and can’t be bothered, I definitely recommend watching some ‘aesthetic room tours’ on YouTube and it will definitely inspire you. (Just don’t get sucked into the endless rabbit hole that is YouTube!) And once your done, you’ll have a clean room;) (If you don’t get bored half way through and give up hehe #guilty)

Go on a bike ride:)

I feel like I talk about cycling all the time on my blog haha but that’s because it’s a great, healthy, fun thing to do! As long as you have a bike, this is a relaxing way to exercise and get out of the house. You can always reward yourself by cycling to your nearby cafe;)

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So those are my top tips to tricking your brain into thinking you were productive all day (when these activities only take from just 5 minutes to an hour). I’m definitely guilty of having days where all I did was watch Netflix and eat hahha, but as fun as it is, after a while it always makes me feel awful! Therefore, I know I’ll be coming back to this post and using these activities:)

What do you do to feel productive? Are you generally a productive person, or do struggle to find motivation most days?

Hi everyone! So as of last Friday, it is officially summer break for me!! This means that I now have a lovely 6 weeks off school coming up to relax (and hopefully get stuff done!). However, from previous years I know that this time can often lead to days of boredom and unproductivity. So for all of you on summer break now, I have put together a list of some fun Summer Activities for Teenagers to enjoy alone, with family or with friends. (And if you're not on school break right now, I'm sure some of these will still be useful ideas for weekends.)

Have a smoothie contest
You can do this with siblings or a group of friends, but just get together with others and try and think of the wackiest, coolest smoothies, and then actually make them!! You can then get a parent or somebody else to taste them all, and pick a winner. (This post here actually has some great unique smoothie recipes).

Den-fest

Again, this can be done with friends or family. One warm day, make loads of dens outside using duvets and bedsheets, then blast out some music and have your own mini festival. You can also do things like have bonfires or BBQs to really get everyone in the spirit! And you get to do each other's festival makeup before hand, which I personally love.

Go on a bike ride!
This one is a great option as it's really easy and as long as you have a bike, free. And you can do it alone (I do love just clearing my mind when I'm stressed by going on a bike ride), with friends or family. And it's a great way to exercise and get a bit of fresh air:)

I actually went on a bike ride with my siblings yesterday evening, and it was so fun and refreshing.

Thrifting in charity or vintage shops
I know in the UK we don't actually have 'thrift' shops, but we can go to charity shops. This can be done alone or with friends, just go to your nearest second-hand shops and find some cool items. If you want, you can always do a little fashion show afterwards.

Strawberry picking
I know some people won't be near somewhere where they can do this, but if you do, strawberry (or other fruit) picking is a really simple, cute and fun idea to do this summer. Not only can you get some great shots for the Insta feed haha, but it's also genuinely fun (and = food at the end of it, which is a bonus).

Crazy golf
This isn't the most unique idea, but I know it doesn't necessarily spring to most people's minds when you think of 'fun activities for the summer', however I know from the past, that it's actually a really fun thing to do (and brings out a competitive streak in many!)

Learn a new language
Yes, 'learning' does remind many people of school, and even though the holidays are a time to escape from school, it's never a bad thing to learn a new skill. I really want to learn sign language this summer, I'm not really sure why to be honest!! Just make the most of all your free time and sign up to an online course (there's loads of good, free ones that can teach you a variety of different languages).

Start a blog or YouTube channel!!

If you don't already run a blog or Youtube channel, and you'd like to start one, summer break is a great time to. They do take a lot of hard work and dedication, but they are so so worthwhile and fun!

Make your own pizza
Everyone loves pizza! (Except my weird best friend like WHO ARE YOU?!) But except from her hehe, so why not host a make your own pizza sesh at your house. Buy loads of yummy toppings before hand (NOT anchovies*) and see who can make the quirkiest.. but tastiest pizza. Should be a great laugh (as well as ending in you eating pizza, which is always a win!)

*they are so so disgusting eww

Go to a farm or zoo
Bring out your inner child and have fun running around at a farm or zoo, seeing all the different animals!

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SO those were some fun activities for kids and teenagers to enjoy this summer! Are you on summer holidays? Do you have any plans? What else would you add to my list? I hope this post was helpful, and I'll be back soon with another post:)
Lexie xtags IGNORE: summer, summer holidays, activities for kids, teen bucket list, fun things for teens to do, free activities this summer, teen blogger, lifestyle blogger, child blogger, teenage blogger, teen girls, things to do with friends, activities to do alone, healthy activities

Tuesday

Hi everyone!! So today I've got a new post as part of a blog tour with Scholastic. This blog tour is around Access All Awkward, a new book in the Awkward series by Beth Garrod. This book is primarily targeted at tweens, however for all my older readers out there, it's a lovely, refreshing break from YA and teen fiction. I was lucky enough to be asked to do a blog post today on it, and I'm really excited to share my opinions on this book with you.

Access All Awkward is all about Bella Fisher who is stuck right in the middle of ... exam season. Who doesn't love that?! *sighs* The only thing that is getting her through the week is the promise of a fun cool festival with all her friends. There is only one slight problem - she can't afford a ticket. This leads to her working lots of jobs like litter picking and toilet scrubbing but she knows the concert will be so fun. When she finally earns enough money for a ticket, the concert doesn't turnout like Bella though it would. Firstly, her mum has sent Bella's older sister Jo to spy on her and her bestie Rachel is hanging out with some mean girls. What's worse is her ex is there with his hot new model girlfriend. Awkward!

One of the things I love about this book, is many aspects are very relatable. Beth just nails life as a teenager, getting all the reactions, thoughts, references and language correct! I think it's really great to see an author accurately portray what life is like as a teenager these days, as many get it pretty darn wrong, which is really really frustrating and aggravating to read! And as a teen myself, I love how real and relatable I found the book. (Although it includes stereotypical teen language like bromance, wifey and AF, so if you don't like that kinda language - maybe this isn't for you!) Personally however, I just find it really nice, particularly as it makes Bella more realistic in my mind too.

Another thing I enjoyed about this book was how funny it was!! There are quite a few times where I actually full-on laughed out loud during the reading of this book. It's a really chill, amusing read, which is great when I want a break from reality but don't want to read anything too heavy. I think it will be a very popular read this summer!!

I also absolutely love the characters in this, they all feel so genuine and real. My favourite, of course, has to be Bella Fisher.. she's so funny and awkward.. and I do see quite a bit of myself in her haha! And she also has her amazing two best friends, Rach and Tegan, I love seeing wholesome, lovely friendships in books.

I would definitely recommend this book to all tween girls, or teenagers who like having an easier read every once in a while. Thanks so much Scholastic for inviting me to be part of this blog post tour. I'll be back soon with my next post - fun things to do as a teenager this summer.
Lexie x

*I was sent this book by Scholastic. All opinions are completely my own:)

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'Nobody is perfect. Just accept it. And however perfect they may seem, everyone has problems. Everyone. So don't ever judge them before you know them truly.' - What Lexie Loves

Thank you to my mum for helping me set up this blog, over 4 years ago, and for helping me with any errors. Thank you to all the companies who have respected my blog, and encouraged me. Thank you to all my BBFs (best blogger friends) for keeping me going. And thank you to you, for clicking on this site!